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Jenkins’s Wonder Woman Movie Inspired Vocabulary Change in ASL

Apparently, there’s been a vocabulary change in American sign language (ASL) because of the Wonder Woman movie. The 6-panel gif below shows an exchange between an ASL-using audience member and Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins.

[audience member in ASL] “In the 1970s, when you have Lynda Carter, I was a little girl and I would copy it and I would sign like this.” [shows the old Wonder Woman sign that involves multiple segments]

[in ASL] “However today, because of this film, we have changed it for this.” [crosses her arms like Wonder Woman in the movie]

[Patty Jenkins, delighted] “Wow!”

[in ASL] “So these little deaf girls are signing now ‘Wonder Woman’.”

[in ASL] “And when I grew up we were doing the multiple signs, so thank you. Thank you!” [applauds in sign language]